BLACK LEGAL ACTION CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT

2018-2019 & 2019-2020

W W W . B L A C K L E G A L A C T I O N C E N T R E . C A ABOUT BLAC

The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a not-for-profit corporation that was established in in September of 2017. BLAC opened its doors to the public in March of 2019. MISSION

The mission of the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is to educate, advocate, and litigate to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism in Ontario.

We educate both inside and outside our community to empower through knowledge and change attitudes and behaviours that contribute to anti-Black racism;

We advocate for justice both inside and outside the systems and institutions that play integral roles in our lives as Black people, in order to achieve Black liberation; and

We litigate to break down barriers that preclude our full participation in society.

In doing so, we will focus on working with our community and others with a goal of reciprocal and respectful listening and learning. Through rigorous community engagement and by challenging historically oppressive institutions, BLAC will endeavour to explore, understand, and re-imagine what it means to be Black in Ontario.

VISION The Black Legal Action Centre was created to challenge and eradicate individual and systemic anti-Black racism. Our vision is a society where anti-Black racism is named and meaningfully addressed; where the humanity and dignity of Black people are centred; where the laws and the legal system are reflective of the real experiences of Black people; and where racial equity and full participation of all Black people in society is achieved. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS

0 4 M e s s a g e f r o m B o a r d C h a i r

0 5 B L A C B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s

0 7 M e s s a g e f r o m E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r

0 8 B L A C S t a f f

1 1 N e w S t a f f

1 2 P r o g r e s s b y N u m b e r s

1 3 C a s e s : G r o w t h a n d A r e a o f L a w

1 4 I n i t i a t i v e b y T y p e

1 5 S t a t e m e n t s a n d D e p u t a t i o n s

1 6 W h e r e w e W o r k

1 7 B L A C S t a f f R e p o r t

2 0 F i n a n c i a l S t a t e m e n t s ( 2 0 1 8 / 2 0 1 9 )

2 9 F i n a n c i a l S t a t e m e n t s ( 2 0 1 9 / 2 0 2 0 ) 3 8 T h e E v o l u t i o n : B L A C i n P i c t u r e s MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

Thank you for your interest in and support of the Back Legal Action Centre to serve the legal needs of the Black community in Ontario. A brief review of our journey to this time will provide you with information about our progress. This message / report of BLAC’s development is different because it is not from AGM to AGM, but includes references to BLAC’s beginnings. To this end, BLAC held its first AGM on March 7, 2019 and held an Open House for our community on March 29, 2019.

In 2017, a group of interested community members were invited to meet with Moya Teklu, Policy Counsel, Racialized Communities Strategy of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). Moya’s task was to guide and assist us in effecting the organization of a legal clinic, while adhering to the guidelines of LAO, our funding vehicle of the provincial government. Later, as a Board, it was necessary to develop by-laws, new policies; decide on Board positions and the terms of office, to name but a few responsibilities. Thank you, Moya, for all your assistance.

Another important responsibility was hiring an Executive Director. We were fortunate in hiring Ruth Goba as our Executive Director, and we have worked with her to effect the many tasks to hire staff and to support their work, and to promote the growth of the centre. BLAC’s staff complement currently includes the Executive Director, three Staff Lawyers (Nana Yanful, Fareeda Adam and Patricia Suleiman), an Intake Coordinator (Lesa Francis), a Research and Policy Coordinator (Mewded Mengesha), and a Community Legal Worker (Khaldah Salih). I extend my appreciation to all the staff on behalf of the communities they have served so well. You make us proud. We are very proud of the work of the clinic and the regard it has achieved.

The clinic has served more than 200 clients with ever increasing numbers of new intakes; many inquiring clients have received summary advice. The clinic lawyers have written deputations around policies, legislation, considered decisions, and advocated on behalf of many issues concerning race. I am stepping down as Chair today. I will remain on the Board as the past president. My decision to step aside is consistent with my belief that there are many capable people of all ages in the community who have knowledge and sound opinions and have a contribution to make. The Board should not stagnate by allowing the same few to remain on the Board too long, developing a way of interacting that may become more comfortable than creative or productive. Zanana Akande BLAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Zanana Akande, Chair

Zanana Akande was the first Black woman elected to the Ontario Legislature, and the first Black woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada. A New Democratic MLA from 1990 to 1994, she represented the downtown riding of St. Andrew-St. Patrick and served as a cabinet minister in the government of .

After leaving politics, Zanana served as president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Canadian Alliance of Black Educators and Toronto Child Abuse Centre. She worked with other community-based groups including the United Way of Greater Toronto, the Family Services Association and the Elizabeth Fry Society. She was the recipient of the African Canadian Achievement Award for Education and the Award of Distinction from the Congress of Black Women.

Sandy Hudson, Vice-Chair

Sandy Hudson is a community organizer who has spearheaded anti‐racism and anti‐violence initiatives. Sandy co-founded Black Lives Matter Toronto in 2014.

As a graduate student at the , Sandy is a co-founder of the Black Liberation Collective Canada, a campus-based extension of Black Lives Matter.

Sandy makes regular appearances in the media to discuss race issues and has had pieces published in the Toronto Star, Huffington Post, Now Magazine and TVO.org. Her contributions to New Framings on Anti‐racism and Race and Racialization: Essential Readings are to be published this year. Aba Stevens, Secretary

Aba Stevens is a New York and Ontario-called attorney with a long-established commitment to equity and human rights.

She has served in a voluntary capacity for numerous community organizations and initiatives, including as vice chairperson of The Black Secretariat. More recently, she organized a coalition of community organizations and equity- seeking individuals to respond to proposed diversity-related amendments to the Ontario Securities Commission’s corporate governance rule. Aba’s legal practice has focused on securities, white collar criminal and constitutional law.

As legal counsel to the Ontario Securities Commission and the Canadian Securities Transition Office, she has advised on wide ranging law reform initiatives relating to corporate governance, systemic risk, derivatives, market regulation, capital raising, data collection and emergency powers. Through her ongoing work to reform Canada’s securities regulatory framework including the proposed Cooperative Capital Markets Regulatory System, she specializes in modelling and advising through complex transitions.

Idil Abdillahi, Member at Large

Idil Abdillahi is an assistant professor at Ryerson University School of Social Work.

With over 15 years of experience in addictions, mental health, immigration, criminal justice, women’s services, community development and grassroots organizing, Idil is an activist-academic and community organizer.

Rinaldo Walcott, Member at Large

Rinaldo Walcott is Director of the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Rinaldo has published writings on music, literature, film and theatre, policy and other topics. His research and publications focus on Black cultural politics, histories of colonialism in the Americas, multiculturalism, citizenship and diaspora; gender and sexuality; and social, cultural and public policy.

Rinaldo is the author of Black Like Who: Writing Black Canada; the editor of Rude: Contemporary Black Canadian Cultural Criticism; and co-editor with Roy MoodlReyU oTf CHou GnsOellBinAg Across and Beyond Cultures: Exploring the Work of Clemment Vontress in Clinical Practice. He published Queer Returns: Essays on Multiculturalism, Diaspora and Black Studies (Insomniac Press, 2016). MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

M y n a m e i s R u t h G o b a a n d I a m h o n o u r e d t o b e t h e E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f t h e B l a c k L e g a l A c t i o n C e n t r e ( B L A C ) . B L A C w a s e s t a b l i s h e d w i t h a v e r y s p e c i f i c m a n d a t e – t o c o m b a t i n d i v i d u a l a n d s y s t e m i c a n t i - B l a c k r a c i s m i n O n t a r i o . W e o p e n e d o u r d o o r s t o t h e p u b l i c i n M a r c h o f 2 0 1 9 . I n t h e s h o r t 1 5 m o n t h s s i n c e w e o p e n e d , w e h a v e c o m e t h r o u g h p r o v i n c i a l s p e n d i n g c u t s ( i n o u r f i r s t f e w m o n t h s o f o p e n i n g ) , a s p e n d i n g f r e e z e a n d n o w w e a r e i n t h e m i d d l e o f a p a n d e m i c t h a t i s r a v a g i n g o u r c o m m u n i t y . W e c o n t i n u e , h o w e v e r , t o s e r v e o u r c o m m u n i t y a n d d o t h e w o r k t h a t w e a r e m a n d a t e d t o d o .

W h i l e B L A C i s a r e l a t i v e l y e n t i t y , t h e i m p a c t o f a n t i - B l a c k r a c i s m i s n o t n e w t o o u r c o m m u n i t y . I n d e e d , t h e i s s u e s t h a t b e s i e g e t h e B l a c k c o m m u n i t y a s a r e s u l t o f a n t i - B l a c k r a c i s m a r e l o n g - s t a n d i n g , n u m e r o u s , a n d d a u n t i n g . T h e y i n c l u d e t h e o v e r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f B l a c k c h i l d r e n i n t h e c h i l d w e l f a r e p r o t e c t i o n s y s t e m a n d t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g d e s t r u c t i o n o f B l a c k f a m i l i e s ; t h e d i s p a r a t e t r e a t m e n t o f B l a c k y o u t h i n t h e e d u c a t i o n s y s t e m t h a t o f t e n r e s u l t s i n c r i m i n a l i z a t i o n a n d l i m i t s o p p o r t u n i t y f o r f u t u r e s u c c e s s ; h a r a s s m e n t , h y p e r - s u r v e i l l a n c e a n d r a c i a l p r o f i l i n g b y p o l i c e t h a t r e s u l t s i n u n j u s t c r i m i n a l i z a t i o n , i m p r i s o n m e n t , v i o l e n c e a n d e v e n d e a t h ; t h e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n t h a t r e s u l t s i n l a c k o f a c c e s s t o s a f e a n d a d e q u a t e h o u s i n g ; a n d r a c i s m i n t h e l a b o u r m a r k e t t h a t r e s u l t s i n B l a c k p o v e r t y , u n d e r e m p l o y m e n t , p r e c a r i o u s e m p l o y m e n t , a n d u n e m p l o y m e n t .

T h e f o r m a t i o n o f B L A C p r o v i d e s a n o p p o r t u n i t y f o r u s t o w o r k w i t h o u r c o m m u n i t y a n d a l l i e s t o e d u c a t e , a d v o c a t e , a n d l i t i g a t e w h e n n e c e s s a r y , t o d e a l w i t h t h e s e i s s u e s :

W e w i l l e d u c a t e b o t h i n s i d e a n d o u t s i d e o u r c o m m u n i t y t o e m p o w e r t h r o u g h k n o w l e d g e a n d c h a n g e a t t i t u d e s a n d b e h a v i o u r s t h a t c o n t r i b u t e t o B l a c k i n e q u a l i t y ; W e w i l l a d v o c a t e f o r j u s t i c e b o t h i n s i d e a n d o u t s i d e t h e s y s t e m s a n d i n s t i t u t i o n s t h a t p l a y i n t e g r a l r o l e s i n o u r l i v e s ; a n d W e w i l l l i t i g a t e , w h e n n e c e s s a r y , t o b r e a k d o w n b a r r i e r s t h a t p r e c l u d e o u r f u l l p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n s o c i e t y .

I t i s o u r h o p e t h a t B L A C w i l l c o n t r i b u t e t o a s u b s t a n t i v e c h a n g e i n h o w w e u n d e r s t a n d a n d a d d r e s s r a c i s m a n d i t s p e r v a s i v e e f f e c t s i n o u r p r o v i n c e . W e k n o w t h a t c h a n g e w i l l n o t b e i m m e d i a t e . B L A C i s i n i t s i n f a n c y a n d t h e i s s u e s f a c i n g o u r c o m m u n i t y a r e p e r n i c i o u s , p e r s i s t e n t , a n d s y s t e m i c . B L A C w i l l g r o w a n d l e a r n a n d t r a n s i t i o n o v e r t i m e . H o w e v e r , t h e t r e m e n d o u s o u t p o u r i n g o f g o o d w i l l f r o m o u r c o m m u n i t y a n d b e y o n d w i l l b e o f s i g n i f i c a n t h e l p t o o u r w o r k a l o n g t h e w a y . T h a n k y o u t o L e g a l A i d O n t a r i o f o r o u r i n i t i a l f u n d i n g a n d o n g o i n g s u p p o r t .

W e a t B L A C l o o k f o r w a r d t o l e a r n i n g f r o m t h e d i v e r s e r a n g e o f p e o p l e a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s a c r o s s o u r p r o v i n c e a l r e a d y m a k i n g i m p o r t a n t c h a n g e i n t h i s a r e a e v e r y d a y . T o g e t h e r , w e w i l l w o r k t o w a r d s s e c u r i n g t h e h u m a n r i g h t s a n d d i g n i t y t o w h i c h w e a r e a l l e n t i t l e d . Ruth Goba BLAC STAFF

Ruth Goba, Executive Director

Ruth graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2000 and was called to the Bar in 2002. After law school, Ruth worked abroad for an international NGO that focused on economic and social rights and for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing. She later completed her articles of clerkship at ARCH Disability Law Centre. She worked in private practice as a human rights lawyer and then moved to the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, where she was Executive Director from 2007 to 2009.

Ruth was a Commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission for 11 years, and in February 2015 was named Interim Chief Commissioner. In 2016, she was cross-appointed to the board of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, and in 2017 was appointed as a mediator and adjudicator with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Ruth has taught at Ryerson University, was on the legal committee of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), and the board of the National Association of Women and the Law. She was also appointed to the Provincial/Territorial Expert Panel on Physician-Assisted Dying. Her work has taken her to India, Kenya, and Geneva. She and her husband live in Toronto with their three young daughters.

Lesa Francis, Administrative Assistant and Intake Coordinator

Lesa has worked as a Law Clerk for personal injury and family law firms in Toronto and as a Program Coordinator and Administrator for multiple specialty legal clinics in Ontario.

Since 2009, she has also operated her own business as a Grant Writer, specializing in acquiring diverse funding for local and international artists, as well as orgRanUizTatHion Gs iOn tBheA non-profit sector.

Working at BLAC fulfills Lesa’s combined passion of working with and within her community to develop access to justice and combat systemic anti-Black racism. Nana Yanful, Staff Lawyer and Legal Team Lead

Nana is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. During law school, Nana received various awards including the Honourable Julius Alexander Isaac Scholarship, the Stitt Feld Handy Social Justice Fellowship, and the Lerners Cup Finalist & Top Oralist award. Nana completed her articles at the Superior Court of Justice as a Judicial Law Clerk and was called to the Bar in 2014. Nana practiced criminal defence law at Simcoe Chambers in Toronto, where she appeared before all levels of court in Ontario. Her writing on equity, policing and the trust-deficit has appeared in the anthology, Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Diversity, For The Defence, Spacing Magazine and elsewhere.

Nana is deeply committed to community and legal work related to anti-Black racism, human rights, and anti-discrimination. For many years she has worked to build equitable and inclusive spaces in education, health care, and in community and non-profit organizations. Most recently, Nana worked as a Human Rights & Health Equity Specialist at Sinai Health System and as a Knowledge Translation Specialist for the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. Nana is a board member of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre.

Fareeda Adam, Staff Lawyer

Fareeda Adam is a graduate of McMaster University and The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.At McMaster University Fareeda completed her BA in Political Science and Women’s Studies, with a minor in Indigenous Studies. Fareeda was the President of the McMaster Debating Society, was the recipient of the The Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Scholarship and The Canadian Federation of University Women (Hamilton) Memorial Prize. During law school, Fareeda was involved with the Black Law Students’ Association (BLSAC) as Co- PresRidUenTt aHnd G mOenBtoAr. Fareeda along with her partner, competed and won the BLSAC Julius Isaac Alexander Diversity Moot and Fareeda was awarded best oralist. After graduating from law school, Fareeda articled in criminal law and continued to work in this field after being called to the bar of Ontario. She has worked for Legal Aid in various capacities as a lawyer, dealing with low- income Ontarians in both the family and criminal law context. Fareeda has developed a particular interest in youth criminal justice and the intersections of child protection and criminal law.

Since beginning her legal career, Fareeda has learned of the importance of naming anti-Black racism and using a critical-race lens to understand the interactions Black people have with the legal system. Fareeda is proud to be part of the BLAC team and to embark on the journey of meaningfully engaging and challenging the legal system on behalf of her community.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Fareeda is the third of four children, born to Ghanaian parents. She is a proud middle child and lives by her mother’s mantra, “know your worth.”

Patricia Suleiman, Staff Lawyer

Patricia graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2014, and received her Juris Doctorate. Patricia also graduated from the University of Toronto Internationally Trained Lawyers Program in 2016. She received her National Committee of Accreditation Certificate of Qualification in 2016, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2018. During her time in law school Patricia was a clinical student at the In House Criminal Defense Clinic, where she focused on providing representation to clients facing serious misdemeanor charges, and on occasion uncomplicated felonies.

After law school she worked as an Associate at a general litigation firm focusing on criminal defense and estate planning.

Upon her return to Canada, Patricia was a student intern with Legal Aid Ontario Duty Counsel at the John Sopinka Courthouse (criminal court). She later completed her articles of clerkship at South Etobicoke Community Legal Services. She later worked for a wealth management firm providing recommendations in the business process of compliance by drafting regulatory, and risk oriented policies and procedures. Patricia has experience in the following areas of law: disability, landlord and tenant, criminal defense, employment, estate planning, and risk and securities compliance.

On a different note, Patricia enjoys watching, coaching, and playing her favourite sport soccer. BLAC WELCOMES NEW STAFF MEMBERS

Mewded Mengesha, Research and Policy Coordinator

Mewded is an immigrant from Ethiopia and lives in Scarborough. He is currently a licensing candidate at the Law Society of Ontario. Prior to joining BLAC, Mewded was an articling student at Paul VanderVennen Law Office where he assisted clients with all aspects of Canadian immigration and refugee law matters.

Mewded holds a master’s of law degree from Lund University, Sweden, where he studied International Human Rights Law. He also received a bachelor’s of law degree and worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for few years in Ethiopia.

In Canada, Mewded continued pursuing his passion of becoming a lawyer and received a master’s of law degree from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School. After successfully completing the accreditation process in Canada, he received a certificate of qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.

Mewded is passionate about work related to anti-Black racism, human rights, and refugee rights.

Khaldah Salih, Community Legal Worker

Khaldah Salih holds a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University in Political Science and International Development, and a Master’s degree from the University of British Columbia in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice.

As an independent researcher, Khaldah has explored issues of surveillance and state violence as related to activism. She has worked in several humanitarian and development organizations in Khartoum, Sudan, including the UN Refugee Agency where she was a caseworker with refugees and asylum seekers.

Most RrecUenTtHly, KGhOaldBahA was a Project Coordinator at the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA), working on policy and coordinating youth programming.

Khaldah is motivated to further understand and combat anti-Black racism within Ontario and across borders, and is excited to be a part of the BLAC team and be able to serve her community. PROGRESS BY THE NUMBERS*

200 1/3

The number of new cases Of cases are related to between April 1, 2019 and Education, Police Complaints March 31, 2020 & Public Services

108 300

The number of new The number of new initiatives** between April intakes between April 1, 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020 2019 and March 31, 2020

*These numbers reflect the 2019-2020 fiscal year as BLAC was not open until March 2019.

**Initiatives include Public Legal Education, Law Reform, Community Development & Advocacy CASES: GROWTH AND AREAS OF LAW 2019-2020

March 2019 Number of cases

March 2020

0 50 100 150 200

75

50 Areas of Law

25

0 * t l * s n g ts ily a re e * e in h n a c r ce s g m i n e i m u i a im C ta th rv y o R F r h s e lo H n C lt si O S p a a s m e A lic m H l b E u a u H ci P o S

*Public Services includes: Education, Police Issues/Complaints

**Other includes: Correctional law, Victim of violence, Privacy/Access to Information INITIATIVES BY TYPE 2019-2020

Public Legal Education Partners/Network/Community Groups 18.4% 21.1%

Community Development 10.5%

Trainings 21.1%

Law Reform/Advocacy 28.9%

Through law reform, advocacy and test case litigation, BLAC advocates for systemic change that directly impacts the Black Community in Ontario.

BLAC also engages regularly in Public Legal Education and training sessions across Ontario. ADVOCACY: STATEMENTS AND DEPUTATIONS 2019-2020

Bill 100: Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Bill 108: More Homes, More Choices Act 2019

Bill 68: An Act With Respect to Community Safety and Policing

BLAC's Submissions to the Economic and Community Development Committee on the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism-Update

Feigned Outrage: BLAC's Statement on Blackface

BLAC's Statement to Clinic System Regarding Legal Aid Ontario Cuts

BLAC's Statement to our Community on Education

BLAC's Statement on Emancipation Day

BLAC's Statement on the Law Society of Ontario's Statement of Principles WHERE WE WORK: 2019-2020

Other 8.6% Mississauga

6.3%

Toronto Scarborough 42.2% 14.1%

North York 6.3%

Etobicoke 7% Ottawa Brampton 5.5% 8.6%

*Other includes: Hamilton, Kitchener, Bracebridge, Owen Sound, Colborne, London, and St. Catherines

BLAC is continuing to work to reach its goal of being a truly provincial organization. BLAC STAFF REPORT

Over the past year, the staff at BLAC have been committed to supporting BLAC's clients by advocating for them in schools, at the Landlord and Tenant Board, at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, as well as in the health care system, and in prisons. Staff also assisted with the development of the internal structures of the new clinic, and produced public education materials for use across the province. Staff engaged in numerous public legal education workshops, made deputations before government committees and worked on law reform initiatives.

Provincial Day of Action:

In July 2019, staff at BLAC engaged in the provincial day of action by protesting at Premier Doug Ford’s constituency office in Rexdale. BLAC understood what the cuts to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) meant for members of our community in trying to access justice, specifically in the areas of criminal and immigration law.

The Colour of Poverty Campaign:

BLAC has been involved with the Colour of Poverty campaign (COP- COC) since 2018. BLAC attends meetings and strategic planning sessions. In November 2019, BLAC had the opportunity to present at the LAO Community Legal Clinics Greater Toronto Area Training along with COP-COC. In March 2020, BLAC collaborated with COP-COC to present a joint submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child at its 87th Session and Review of the Fifth and Sixth Periodic Reports of Canada. Public Interest Litigation:

BLAC successfully obtained intervenor status in R v. Morris where the Court of Appeal for Ontario will consider the appropriate manner in which systemic factors should shape the sentencing framework for Black offenders.

Establishing Satellite Clinics:

BLAC has been actively involved in building community connections with the establishment of satellite clinics in Hamilton and Windsor. BLAC is currently working with community organizations to open these satellite offices, and the goal is to open satellite offices in Ottawa, Kitchener, Peel, and Durham regions, among others.

Partnerships:

BLAC has engaged with community and grassroots organizations across the province, including with Parents of Black Children, Empowerment Squared, Afro-Canadian Caribbean Association of Hamilton & District, Advocacy Peel, ResQ International, Delta Family Resource Centre, TAIBU Community Health Centre and many more. International Human Rights Work

In June of 2019, , BLAC's Executive Director was invited to Ottawa to attend a meeting with the United Nations High COmmissioner for Human RIghts Michelle Bachalet and the federal minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the same month, the BLAC's Executive Director was also invited to participate in a meeting with the Continuing Committee of Federal Provincial Territorial Human Rights Officials. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and push for the implementation of human rights standards across all levels of government. Civil Society Advocacy

In the spring of 2019, Ruth Goba was invited by Amnesty International Canada to participate in a private roundtable with the UN High Commissioner, to share with her the impact of Canada's failure to meet its human rights obligations, and to voice concerns about the specific impact African Canadians.

Speaking Engagements

In May of 2019, BLAC's Executive Director was invited to be the Keynote Speaker at the Annual Conference of the Law Union of Ontario - . She spoke about anti-Black racism and the law. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: MARCInsHer t3 B1oa, rd2 o0f 1Di9rectors Nominations Slate

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: MARCH 31, 2020

Zanana Akande Rinaldo Walcott

THE EVOLUTION: BLAC IN PICTURES

The Original Space Working from Home

Long Board Meeting at Home Planning and Construction

Finishing Touches The Artwork Visitors Community and Work The Community and BLAC Work Thank you from all of us at BLAC! We look forward to many more years of working with and for you all!